Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

They are open to the public? They had a retail shop when they were in Belleville, I didn't know the new location has a store. You've been there?

I think the Bellville is their warehouse distribution for local deliveries. They used to be in Totawa, N.J. I sent you a PM with details Monroe.

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

They are open to the public? They had a retail shop when they were in Belleville, I didn't know the new location has a store. You've been there?

You cannot engage in a conversation without spewing hate, get over it. I have lived in Hudson County probably longer than you and I know the area. I worked in Kearney for a year and am familiar with the area.

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

They are open to the public? They had a retail shop when they were in Belleville, I didn't know the new location has a store. You've been there?

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

Obviously, neither one of you understands what is important in deciding where to build a corporate headquarter for a technology company.

With the many choices on the list it's doubtful others do either, so please enlighten us bod.

Well, since you asked, I will try and disabuse you of your ignorance, a likely futile endeavor.

For starters, Amazon was quite clear about what it wants/needs in selecting a location for its new HQ2. Here’s a list of those requirements:- existing buildings of at least 500,000 sf, and enough site space to grow to 8 MM sf. - stable, business friendly taxes and regulations, coupled with local and state incentives - strong labor pool, particularly in tech (of course) and, specifically, a strong university system offering relevant degrees, as well as K-12 schools that offer computer science programs.- on site access to mass transit, easy access to an international airport (within 45 minutes) and major highways (less than two miles) with multiple transit options (including pedestrian and bike access)- streamlined, quick building approval/permitting process (good luck with this one in NJ!) to ensure ability to be able to being construction almost immediately after selection - likelihood of "culture fit" — which they defined as a diverse population, strong higher-education system, and local government that is “eager and willing to work with the company"- and, last, the one requirement that really worked against many proposals: good quality of life, which they defined as a location where people want to live, that offers cultural and recreational opportunities, with high quality day to day living, low crime, availability of affordable housing.

To think that any given city, particularly Kearny, could be a contender just because it has "lots" of available space for construction demostrates a complete lack of grasp of what is being asked or expected.

See the article on Bloomberg listing pros/cons of the top 20 contenders.

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

Obviously, neither one of you understands what is important in deciding where to build a corporate headquarter for a technology company.

With the many choices on the list it's doubtful others do either, so please enlighten us bod.

Well, since you asked, I will try and disabuse you of your ignorance, a likely futile endeavor.

For starters, Amazon was quite clear about what it wants/needs in selecting a location for its new HQ2. Here’s a list of those requirements:- existing buildings of at least 500,000 sf, and enough site space to grow to 8 MM sf. - stable, business friendly taxes and regulations, coupled with local and state incentives - strong labor pool, particularly in tech (of course) and, specifically, a strong university system offering relevant degrees, as well as K-12 schools that offer computer science programs.- on site access to mass transit, easy access to an international airport (within 45 minutes) and major highways (less than two miles) with multiple transit options (including pedestrian and bike access)- streamlined, quick building approval/permitting process (good luck with this one in NJ!) to ensure ability to be able to being construction almost immediately after selection - likelihood of "culture fit" — which they defined as a diverse population, strong higher-education system, and local government that is “eager and willing to work with the company"- and, last, the one requirement that really worked against many proposals: good quality of life, which they defined as a location where people want to live, that offers cultural and recreational opportunities, with high quality day to day living, low crime, availability of affordable housing.

To think that any given city, particularly Kearny, could be a contender just because it has "lots" of available space for construction demostrates a complete lack of grasp of what is being asked or expected.

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

Obviously, neither one of you understands what is important in deciding where to build a corporate headquarter for a technology company.

With the many choices on the list it's doubtful others do either, so please enlighten us bod.

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

Obviously, neither one of you understands what is important in deciding where to build a corporate headquarter for a technology company.

Yvonne wrote:I am surprised that Kearny was not considered, it has a large open spaces for development.

Good point Yvonne, many companies see the advantage that you noticed. Bindi the frozen Italian dessert import company relocated there from Totawa, they are on the Bellville Turnpike and open to the public.

Sutherland wrote:I like Newark too, in fact I love Newark. I'm born and raised there. For a lot of reasons I think Newark, could be a good choice. But i don't think it's going to happen. My guess is going to be Atlanta. The airport is better and the cost of living a lot less than anywhere in the NYC tri state area. But I'll still keep my fingers crossed.

You're probably right, but Atlanta fails badly at one of the 4 core requirements, public transport.

Sutherland wrote:I like Newark too, in fact I love Newark. I'm born and raised there. For a lot of reasons I think Newark, could be a good choice. But i don't think it's going to happen. My guess is going to be Atlanta. The airport is better and the cost of living a lot less than anywhere in the NYC tri state area. But I'll still keep my fingers crossed.

Quote:

jc201jc wrote:i like Newark - low cost of living, easily accessible to NYC and EWR, lots of good colleges in the area (Princeton/Stevens/Rutgers/NJIT, plus all the NYC schools).

I think the chances of Amazon's HQ2 being built somewhere in the Northeast are very slim. Harsh winters can impact operations and productivity (as evidenced by recent winter seasons) coupled with the fact that NE states are high tax areas. There are other issues that could crimp the chances of specific places: crime and corruption in Chicago and Newark, congestion and affordability concerns in NYC.

My money is still on Texas (both Dallas and Austin make compelling cases) or Nashville. Both Austin and Nashville boast very young demographics with thriving social and business scenes. Dallas is experiencing a sort of renaissance. I would think Amazon will want to tap a location that has "momentum" going for it. I think fourth and fifth place would be Denver and Atlanta, respectively.

I like Newark too, in fact I love Newark. I'm born and raised there. For a lot of reasons I think Newark, could be a good choice. But i don't think it's going to happen. My guess is going to be Atlanta. The airport is better and the cost of living a lot less than anywhere in the NYC tri state area. But I'll still keep my fingers crossed.

Quote:

jc201jc wrote:i like Newark - low cost of living, easily accessible to NYC and EWR, lots of good colleges in the area (Princeton/Stevens/Rutgers/NJIT, plus all the NYC schools).

I'd go with Boston, but for the stupid MA support of non-compete contracts. Since the top prospects would not want to deal with that, no tech firm wants to locate there if it has a choice. Chicago is too far from mountains for the outdoor enthusiasts like skiers climbers and cyclists. They're spoiled by the NW. The only rec there is boating.

Chicago is a definite no go given the crime situation and the dysfunctional government there.

Denver seems like a popular choice, and it was the sole city selected by the NYT in their piece from two weeks ago in which they whittled down all the various potential locations. It is definitely a very likely choice. I could see them going for something in FL (Orlando?) or TX (Austin or San Antonio) because of the low taxes and relatively cheap cost-of-living, plus plenty of young people and favorable weather most of the year, albeit brutally hot summers. Those FL/TX places would lack the appeal of a top-level school, but at least Austin/SA have TAMU close by. The NYT times dismissed some locations because of the lack of "mass transit" that is prevalent in larger cities, but that may not be as important a component in the right location.

I'd go with Boston, but for the stupid MA support of non-compete contracts. Since the top prospects would not want to deal with that, no tech firm wants to locate there if it has a choice. Chicago is too far from mountains for the outdoor enthusiasts like skiers climbers and cyclists. They're spoiled by the NW. The only rec there is boating.

fikonj wrote:Heard on NPR today about Amazon's search for new HQ location. Does anyone know for sure whether JC is submitting a proposal? And do you think it would be a good thing (downsides mentioned in the NPR piece included increased gentrification, infrastructure overload etc)?

Heard on NPR today about Amazon's search for new HQ location. Does anyone know for sure whether JC is submitting a proposal? And do you think it would be a good thing (downsides mentioned in the NPR piece included increased gentrification, infrastructure overload etc)?